This paper estimates the effect of school-based management on student performance in the Philippines using the administrative dataset of all public schools in 23 school districts over a 3-year period, 2003- 2005.
... See More + The authors test whether schools that received early school-based management interventions (training in school-based management and direct funding for school-based reforms, based on school improvement plans) attained higher average test scores than those that did not receive such inputs. The analysis uses school-level overall composite test scores (comprising all subject areas tested) and test scores in three separate subject areas: English, math, and science. Their preferred estimator, difference-indifference with propensity score matching, shows that the average treatment effect of participation in school-based management was higher by 1.5 percentage points for overall composite scores, 1.2 percentage points for math scores, 1.4 percentage points for English scores, and 1.8 percentage points for science scores. These results suggest that the introduction of school-based management had a statistically significant, albeit small, overall positive effect on average school-level test scores in 23 school districts in the Philippines. The paper provides a first glimpse of the potential for school-based management in a Southeast Asian context based on available administrative data. The authors suggest that the next order of research is to answer policy-related questions regarding the reforms: what aspects of the reform lead to desired results; are there differential effects across subpopulations; and what are the potential downsides to the reforms? The authors recommend that countries embarking on implementation of school-based management reforms specify their school-based management model and theories of change clearly and advance mechanisms for rigorous evaluations simultaneously. Such evaluations should not only provide more accurate estimates of the effectiveness of the reforms, but also help answer policy-related questions regarding design and implementation of those reforms in different socio-cultural contexts.
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This paper estimates the effect of school-based management on student performance in the Philippines using the administrative dataset of all public schools in 23 school districts over a 3-year period, 2003-2005.
... See More + The authors test whether schools that received early school-based management interventions (training in school-based management and direct funding for school-based reforms) attained higher average test scores than those that did not receive such inputs. The analysis uses school-level overall composite test scores (comprising all subject areas tested) and test scores in three separate subject areas: English, math, and science. Their preferred estimator, difference-in-difference with propensity score matching, shows that the average treatment effect of participation in school-based management was higher by 1.5 percentage points for overall composite scores, 1.2 percentage points for math scores, 1.4 percentage points for English scores, and 1.8 percentage points for science scores. These results suggest that the introduction of school-based management had a statistically significant, albeit small, overall positive effect on average school-level test scores in 23 school districts in the Philippines. The paper provides a first glimpse of the potential for school-based management in an East Asian context based on available administrative data. The authors suggest that the next order of research is to answer policy-related questions regarding the reforms: what aspects of the reform lead to desired results; are there differential effects across subpopulations; and what are the potential downsides to the reforms? The Philippines is embarking on a nation-wide implementation of school-based management and the authors recommend that mechanisms for rigorous evaluations be advanced simultaneously. Such evaluations should not only provide more accurate estimates of the effectiveness of the reforms, but also help answer policy-related questions regarding design and implementation of those reforms in different socio-cultural contexts.
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Vietnam's integration with the international economy has increased significantly over the past decade, aided by substantial liberalization of trade, and appears set to increase further as trade-expanding measures take full effect.
... See More + This dramatic shift in Vietnam's trading patterns has important implications for the environment and use of natural resources. This paper offers a systematic analysis of the trading and investment patterns to give a broader understanding of the environmental implications of greater openness of the economy during the past decade. The results suggest increasing manufacturing and export activity in water and toxic pollution-intensive sectors compared with the less pollution-intensive sectors. The story is, on the surface, consistent with the changing composition of Vietnamese production and exports away from traditional sectors and toward pollution-intensive manufacturing (especially leather and textiles). The paper also highlights the need to consider strengthening environmental policies while further trade liberalization is being contemplated through Vietnam's joining of the World Trade Organization.
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As part of a larger initiative of thematic program evaluations, this evaluation examines the extent to which the Community Empowerment and Social Inclusion Program (CESI) achieved its objectives in FY02 and FY03.
... See More + This evaluation thus examines the outcomes and impact of CESI at the individual, institutional, and country levels and provides recommendations to improve CESI. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative data, this evaluation addresses the effectiveness, the impact and the sustainability of CESI. To increase effectiveness and future impact, this report recommends that CESI continue to develop action plans in its activities; offer longer learning events with in-depth coverage of topics; target participants from civil society, local governments, and low-income countries; and increase its support to and follow-up with its alumni to ensure sustained impact.
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WBI's Social Protection Program supports the World Bank's mission to provide security, reduce vulnerability, and eradicate extreme poverty through knowledge and learning products for Bank staff and their counterparts in client countries.
... See More + As part of a larger IEG evaluation initiative, this evaluation examines the extent to which the FY02-03 Social Protection Program (SP) was effective and useful for participants in 12 countries. The evaluation examines the outcomes and impact of the SP program at the individual, institutional, and country levels, and forms some recommendations that can be used to improve WBI programs. Specifically, this evaluation addresses the following questions: 1) How effective are activities offered by the Social Protection program? 2) What is the impact of the Social Protection program? 3) What activity features and participant characteristics of the Social Protection program influence the program's effectiveness and impact? Overall, the evaluation indicates that the SP programs' FY02-03 activities had positive impact in the short term - when assessed eight months to two years after the activity. This report recommends that in the future, SP strives to enhance its activities for participants from low-income countries and for those in government positions. The analyses show that a continued emphasis on a country-focus agenda and action-oriented pedagogical techniques will make SP program even more effective and have greater impact.
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Poverty reduction remains the key global challenge. By building individual and institutional capacity in client countries, WBI aims to contribute to this mission.
... See More + Through both traditional and distance learning methods, WBI and its partners deliver knowledge-based options to policymakers, technical experts, business and community leaders, and civil society stakeholders; foster analytical and networking skills to help client countries make sound decisions; design effective socioeconomic policies and programs; and unleash the productive potential of client country societies. WBI Evaluation Group (IEG) conducted the first impact evaluation of thematic and sector programs in FY02-03, focusing on the six largest of 15 programs delivered in FY00-01. In FY04, four WBI thematic learning programs implemented in FY02-03 were evaluated. The Poverty and Growth Program (PGP) is one of the programs included in the FY04 evaluation. This report examines the extent to which the FY02 and FY03 PGP achieved its objectives.
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This report evaluates staff learning activities offered in FY04. Institute Evaluation Group (IEG)compiled level one evaluation questionnaires completed by 4,750 respondents in 317 staff learning activities.
... See More + We examine the results of these surveys to monitor staff training and evaluate which factors can improve it. On the whole, training quality ratings increased markedly in FY04 from FY03. There were significant increases in participant ratings in three of the five key dimensions of training quality: (a) relevance to the Bank's mission, (b) overall quality, and (c) usefulness of training; ratings of (d) course applicability to job, and (e) perceived increases in knowledge and skills (K&S) remained statistically the same in the two fiscal years. However, it is important to note that applicability to job dropped below the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) benchmark.
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World Bank Institute (WBI) programs are organized around priority themes or initiatives linked to the World Bank's corporate aims and the Millennium Development Goals.
... See More + Over the past two years, however, in order to respond more effectively to the challenges of achieving the Millennium Development Goals and in support of the World Bank's corporate aims, WBI modified its strategy and structure by adding a country pillar to the previous thematic and knowledge/learning pillars. In FY02, the Institute adopted a country focus for its activities, linking them directly to the countries' own poverty reduction strategies and to the Bank's country assistance strategies. Training and other learning products continue to be the main element in WBI's package of assistance, but they are increasingly conceived as part of a menu of services which includes diagnostics and advisory work, strengthening of learning and service delivery organizations, and consulting on capacity enhancement issues. This new country focus is aimed at increasing the efficacy and impact of the WBI assistance and to ensure that these results are sustainable.
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This study reports the findings of the retrospective study of WBI's Tajikistan program and will serve as the baseline for the prospective evaluation work in that country.
... See More + The evaluation takes into consideration the findings of the study, Impact of WBI Activities, FY02-03, on Participants from Egypt: A Baseline Assessment. This evaluation was undertaken to answer the following key questions: What is the relevance of WBI learning activities to the country's needs? What is the effectiveness of WBI learning? What is the impact of WBI learning activities? What features of WBI Programs are related to effectiveness and impact?
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The primary goal of the World Bank Institute (WBI) is to provide knowledge services to build institutional capacity in client countries. In FY03, WBI launched a new approach to providing services that are country-focused, multi-year programs linked to Bank country assistance strategies and the client's own poverty reduction goals.
... See More + WBI in coordination with Regional Vice Presidencies identified a group of 30 countries in which to concentrate this new approach initially, starting in FY04. In support of the country-focused approach, WBI's Evaluation Group (IEG) concurrently initiated a series of evaluations to establish country-specific results to serve as baselines in the priority countries. This report focuses on WBI activities implemented in Kenya in FY02 and FY03. The evaluation addresses the following three main questions. What is the relevance of WBI learning activities to Kenya and Kenyan participants? What are the effectiveness and impact of WBI learning activities? Do WBI activities have a sustained presence and comparative advantage in Kenya?
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In the latter half of the 1990s, budget deficits and debt levels in Turkey were allowed to reach such high levels that the country's macroeconomic stability was severely undermined.
... See More + High inflation and volatility of the real exchange rate caused growth rates to oscillate excessively. In order to address this instability, the Government of Turkey embarked on a path of disinflation in early 2000, requiring a reduction of government expenditures in all sectors. Given the bloated level of annual budgetary and other fiscal support which agriculture had come to absorb by this time, reforms of agricultural subsidies had a significant role to play in this fiscal stabilization program. For this reason, the Government initiated a politically demanding but thorough realignment of agricultural support policies, aimed at improving the efficiency in their support to the sector at greatly reduced levels. Three years into the program, the agricultural subsidy reforms have contributed significantly to the fiscal stabilization agenda by reducing fiscal transfers to farmers. This paper contains two volumes. The first volume includes the executive summary and the following chapters: the reform of agricultural sector subsidization; agricultural terms of trade and support measures; availability and use of agricultural inputs and credit; changes in output structure and foreign trade flows; national and regional dimensions of agricultural sector productivity; and interaction of subsidy reduction and direct income support. The second volume contains the statistical annexes.
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In the latter half of the 1990s, budget deficits and debt levels in Turkey were allowed to reach such high levels that the country's macroeconomic stability was severely undermined.
... See More + High inflation and volatility of the real exchange rate caused growth rates to oscillate excessively. In order to address this instability, the Government of Turkey embarked on a path of disinflation in early 2000, requiring a reduction of government expenditures in all sectors. Given the bloated level of annual budgetary and other fiscal support which agriculture had come to absorb by this time, reforms of agricultural subsidies had a significant role to play in this fiscal stabilization program. For this reason, the Government initiated a politically demanding but thorough realignment of agricultural support policies, aimed at improving the efficiency in their support to the sector at greatly reduced levels. Three years into the program, the agricultural subsidy reforms have contributed significantly to the fiscal stabilization agenda by reducing fiscal transfers to farmers. This paper contains two volumes. The first volume includes the executive summary and the following chapters: the reform of agricultural sector subsidization; agricultural terms of trade and support measures; availability and use of agricultural inputs and credit; changes in output structure and foreign trade flows; national and regional dimensions of agricultural sector productivity; and interaction of subsidy reduction and direct income support. The second volume contains the statistical annexes.
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This report provides an evaluation of the impact of World Bank Institute (WBI) client programs. The report discusses the evaluation methodology, results, and recommendations.
... See More + In Chapter 2 an overview of the specific evaluation questions, an overview of the methodology, and sampling and data-collection results is presented. Chapter 3 discusses effectiveness of the learning activities and their impact on participants, Chapter 4 outlines the features of the WBI learning activities and their relationship to effectiveness and impact and Chapter 5 highlights the contribution of WBI's activities to developing knowledge and capacity and discusses the efficiency of WBI activities.
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